


Just nine months of love

by TinyButWicked



Series: Kensington Hair AU [2]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Because Roger has a potty mouth, Fluff, Hairsalon!AU, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Mpreg, Sadness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2020-01-23 16:17:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18553327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyButWicked/pseuds/TinyButWicked
Summary: Roger has some issues at work because of his growing belly. Thankfully he has a very smart friend and a very helpful, loving boyfriend!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Kensington Hair is back! With mpreg!   
> This can be read as a standalone, or after the original story "You can('t) say that my hair's a disgrace"  
> The important thing is that Roger and Freddie own a hairsalon together, and Brian is Roger's lovey dovey boyfriend.
> 
> I will be posting other mpreg fics to this same story, but they're not necessarily in any order, just glimpses at the boys' lives during the pregnancy.
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you enjoy!  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .

**‘ Poodle ❤️ ‘**

**The don’t have the caramel latte as decaf rn. Do you want tea instead or something else?**

 

**‘ Me ‘**

**Just bring me the regular caramel latte**

 

**‘ Poodle ❤️ ‘**

**No the doctor said no coffee**

 

**‘ Poodle ❤️ ‘**

**Is green tea alright?**

 

**‘ Me ‘**

**I want a caramel latte**

 

**‘ Poodle ❤️ ‘**

**I’m not supporting that sort of behaviour.**

 

**‘ Poodle ❤️ ‘**

**How about a créme frappuccino? I’ll get a venti**

 

**‘ Me ‘**

**Ugh just bring me something sweet you buzzkill**

  
  


Roger groaned at the three heart emojies Brian sent him, before shutting his phone and dropping it on his lap. The steady throbbing in his head was showing no signs of stopping any time soon, and the blonde cursed his doctor for mentioning the ‘no caffeine’ rule with Brian present in the room.

 

Letting out an annoyed huff, the blonde rubbed his swollen stomach gently.

 

“Your dad is taking everything too seriously. You better not be born with a stick up your butt like he apparently was” He felt a gentle fluttering beneath his hand, and just like every time before that, his heart skipped a beat because of it. Feeling his child actually move about and show signs of life even without an ultrasound machine was just so magical it made him want to cry.

 

_ Maybe it’s just the hormones _

 

Roger was currently occupying one of their two client seats in front of the mirrors. It had been a quiet day at the salon, and since sitting in the uncomfortable stool in front of their counter while Freddie was getting lunch was not an option, he was happy to rest his legs and back in the most comfortable seats in the salon. He had to be available in case a client would walk in, but he didn’t need to torture his already aching back by sitting on something very hard and angular. And the armchairs opposite the counter were an absolute no no, as the blonde was unable to get up from them on his own, with his belly getting in the way.

 

So there he was, sitting in front of a mirror, trying very carefully to avoid looking at it.

 

Sure, his job demanded him to stand in front of it for hours every day, so one might think he would have gotten used to his more rounded appearance by now. But, as happy as he was about his pregnancy, Roger didn’t really care for the physical changes it brought with it. He was proud that he could carry his own offspring, he was proud that because of him he and Brian were able to start a family. 

 

What he wasn’t so proud of was the fact that he looked like a bloated goblin. The pregnancy glow was bullshit for all he cared. Unless ‘glow’ meant being shiny with sweat around the clock, then he had it down to a tee. Roger thought it was utterly ridiculous. All he had to do was walk from the break room to the counter and there was a light sheen of sweat on his skin. He was hot all the time, but then if he tried to fix it with wearing thinner, short sleeved clothes he would freeze. 

 

But the absolute worst part of that, in Roger’s eyes, was his hair. He had always taken pride in his long, soft locks, always treating them with care and making sure they were just the right shade when he coloured them. But now, they stuck to his face constantly, laying flat on his head,somehow having lost all of their shine and volume. So he had just opted on keeping them tied up on messy buns or braids, because he didn’t want to end up ripping them out because of pure annoyment. The problem with this was, however, the fact that his own natural colour had grown out during the last five months, making him look all the more unprofessional and unstylish.

 

Roger groaned, tapping a gentle rhythm in his belly. Feeling the baby kick in what the blonde believed was a response always helped him calm down. His appearance didn’t matter in the slightest. He was growing a baby in his body. Of course that took it’s toll. And even more positively, Brian had seemed to go crazy about his boyfriend’s clearly pregnant appearance so how could Roger complain?

 

The doorbell chimed, letting in Freddie with two bags with McDonald’s’ logo on them. Roger smiled happily, making grabby hands at the bags.

 

“I forgot to ask if you wanted chili mayonnaise or the sweet and sour dip with your fries so I brought both” Freddie announced, placing one of the bags on Roger’s lap. The blonde hummed appreciatively, digging through the contents of the bag. Finding what he was looking for, he didn’t wait to see if everything else he had ordered was there, but held up the small paper bag like it was some precious, holy object.

 

“Thank you, God, for chili cheese poppers”

 

“I’ve been called worse. So you’re welcome. I don’t understand how you can eat those things, though. They’re so gross” Roger gave his friend an incredulous look while popping one of the spicy snacks in his mouth.

 

“They are amazing”

 

“You used to hate cheese”

 

“I used to be very dumb, obviously” Roger rolled his eyes at his friend, digging around the bag on his lap for the forementioned chili mayonnaise. He could feel Freddie’s gaze boring into the side of his head, but didn’t give into it before he had found what he was looking for, and coated another chili cheese popper with it.

 

“What? It’s not nice to eat when someone’s staring”

 

“I thought pregnant people were supposed to avoid spicy foods”

 

“Well if you ask the doctors, pregnant people are supposed to avoid any joys in life. I’m already denied sushi, coffee and tequila. They can pry the trashfood out of my cold, dead hands”

 

“Tequila should be denied from you always”

 

“What?! I’m hilarious when I’m tequila drunk!”

 

“Mmhm” Roger refused to urge to roll his eyes again, and for a while they sat in silence, enjoying their greasy meals. The doctor had complained about Roger not gaining weight quickly enough, and while the blonde knew he was supposed to gain it with eating bigger portions of healthy food, he had decided that it was more fun to eat trashfood more often.

 

A sharp gasp interrupted the silence, as Roger felt a strong kick near his ribs. His fries were abandoned as he positioned his hand against his stomach where he had felt it, and the look of sheer horror that passed Freddie’s face was enough to make the blonde laugh.

 

“Don’t laugh, what is it? Is the baby alright? Are you hurting?”

 

“Jesus, Fred. Breathe. She just kicked a lot harder than she has befor.. Ouch! Stop it you little gremlin!” It didn’t necessarily hurt, per say, but the series of sharp kicks that was delivered against  Roger’s intestines wasn’t exactly comfortable either. And as much as he liked his little troublemaker giving out signs of life, he and his pregnancy hormones didn’t appreciate a meal being interrupted.

 

“Oh she’s moving? Can I feel?” Horror was replaced with childlike excitement as the older man inched himself closer, reaching out his hand. Roger appreciated how Freddie always asked before touching, even though by now he surely knew he was one of the few people who was allowed to touch his belly whenever. A rare permit that was only granted to four people. 

 

_ The annoying old women in the line at the grocery store weren’t included in that group, but God did they think they were. _

 

“Oh wow she’s really having a blast in there” Freddie’s hand rested on Roger’s belly only gently, but he was able to feel the force of the baby’s kicks very clearly.

 

“Hasn’t been like this before… And she just keeps going”

 

“Oh wow, yeah… That can’t be comfortable” Roger squirmed on his seat a bit, confirming Freddie’s thoughts. The older man gave him a sympathetic smile, before leaning in towards his belly.

 

“Now, now, trouble. I know your dad’s eating habits aren’t exactly the greatest but you need to let him have his lunch, dearie. Otherwise he will be all cranky and difficult and none of us want that” The words were hushed and gentle, but there was a mischievous glint in Freddie’s brown eyes. But lo and behold, the kicking subsided.

 

“See? She already likes me”

 

“Of course she likes you. Who wouldn’t?”

 

“Aww, how cute. Are you going soft on me, Taylor?”

 

“Have you seen me lately? I’m very soft and round” Freddie leaned back on his seat, but not before giving Roger’s cheek a gentle squeeze.

 

“It’s sort of part of the deal, right? And you’re still very pretty, darling” Roger was about to return to his fries, when his phone pinged out a notification. Thinking it would be Brian, announcing that he had fled Starbucks in fear of buying Roger anything that had been  _ near  _ coffee products, the blonde glanced at it. But instead of a rant about how healthy vegetables and fresh squeezed juices were, it was an email, announcing that someone had made an appointment for the next day, for a wash and cut.

  
“Fuck” Roger muttered under his breath. 

 

“What is it, lovie?”

 

“An appointment” He loved his job, but for the last few months it had gotten increasingly more difficult. As his belly got bigger, it was harder to stand still for long periods of time. And even if that part was easily helped with the saddle chairs they had because he was able to sit for the most part of a haircut, the problem was the sink. 

 

Roger wasn’t exactly a super short person, he liked to think he was quite average on that. So working at the sink had never been a strain on his body, because he could easily reach everything. But for some reason, the designers of the sinks they had in the salon seemed to hate pregnant people. Because even if he was only a little shy of six months along, the size of his bump  was severely affecting his ability to work. He couldn’t stand as close to the sink as before, because the rim of it was at exactly the same height as Roger’s belly. 

 

Therefore, it was getting very hard to reach the customers head, and he had to bend and twist his body into weird positions to do his job. Which was adding to his aches that were already quite notable.

 

“Is it a regular? I can do the wash for you” Freddie, God bless him, understood Roger’s struggle. He had, after all witnessed his pregnancy from the beginning, seeing how it had developed and brought a bunch of difficulties with it.

 

He had also worked alone one day, when Roger had been having a mental breakdown over the fact that he couldn’t close his regular jeans anymore, but the blonde really didn’t want to remember that.

 

“You have a client at the same time so that won’t work” Roger muttered. He just had to deal with it.

 

_ If it’s this hard now and you’re only a little over halfway through _

 

The ring of the doorbell prevented the blonde from worrying about it any more, because once he looked towards the door to see who had walked in, all of his worries were momentarily forgotten.

 

Brian. With a huge cup from Starbucks in his hand.

 

“Oh I see you’ve talked someone else to fetch you food as well” The dark curls bounced slightly as he walked closer, taking in the empty trash food wraps. 

 

“Well I am eating and drinking for two, so it doesn’t hurt to have some help” The blonde answered happily, accepting the greeting kiss before snatching the mug from Brian’s hands. “No caramel latte?”

 

“Babe you know what the doctor said. I got you the créme frappuccino just like I said. It’s good, right?”

 

“Yeah but it’s not coffee”

 

“That’s sort of the point since there is the whole ‘no caffeine’ rule” Roger pouted but took a sip out oh the cup. Sweet  and sugary, but really not what he had wanted.

 

Brian settling his hands on his shoulders to rub at the sore muscles did help with the disappointment, though.

 

“How’s everything been here? Busy?”

 

“Thankfully not” Roger muttered, swirling the straw in his drink. He could smell the confused face Brian was making even without looking at i through the mirror.

 

“The sink problem isn’t exactly going away. It’s just getting worse” Freddie answered on Roger’s behalf, starting to clean up after their lunch.

 

“Oh I’m sorry, love. There really isn’t anything to be done about it?” Brian cooed, pressing a kiss on top of Roger’s head. The blonde closed his eyes and hummed in appreciation of the gentle gesture and the hands rubbing at his shoulders.

 

“Not really. Technically we could get new sinks..”

 

“We’re not doing that, Fred”

 

“..but the difference wouldn’t be that big anyways, and it’d only buy a little more time” Freddie continued his sentence, decidedly ignoring the rude way Roger had interrupted him. 

 

“Well, it is what it is. I’m just not sure how long I can keep working if I can’t fucking reach the client” 

 

“Maybe we should hire an apprentice?” Freddie’s suggestion sounded more like a joke than an actual idea, but then Roger saw him do a doubletake on Brian, face brightening with a grin, “Why can’t Brian help?”

 

“What?” Brian and Roger asked in unison, looking at Freddie like he had just lost some final screw.

 

“Yes!” The growing excitement was clearly visible on Freddie’s face, as he spread his hands in a very flamboyant way, “We could teach him how to do it! Washing someone’s hair isn’t that hard, don’t look at me like that Roger darling, we could teach him and he could do it for you! Granted, it doesn’t remove all the issues but it helps with the biggest one!” Roger and Brian shared a look through the mirror, both sporting the same confused look.

 

“You’re joking, right?” Roger asked dryly. Surely his friend wasn’t serious. The plan was insane

 

“Of course I’m not! He could do it, and he has the time, right? You need to admit it’s a good idea!”

 

_ Why is Brian starting to look excited? _

 

“I could do that? Like even if i don’t have the education?” There was careful hope in Brian’s voice, and it was at that moment that Roger knew he had lost. Freddie would turn his boyfriend into an apprentice and there wasn’t much he could do to stop it.

 

“Of course, darling! We’ll give you all the education you need! And it’s just washing hair, it’s not like anything can go tragically wrong with that!” Brian was looking at Roger now, and the blonde really wanted to say no. Brian already dealt with his temper tantrums and mood swings at home, he really didn’t need to deal with the craziness that was the daily life in the salon.

 

But the gentle smile and small sparkle in the hazel eyes made Roger forget any hopes he had about arguing this.

 

“Well.. Do you want to do that?”

 

“Anything, if it helps you”  

 

_ Of course _

 

“Amazing! We can start practising right away! You can wash Roger’s hair, I’ll tell you how to do it come on!” And so his boyfriend was being dragged towards the sink, and after a brief second of wondering if they were actually doing this, the blonde got up from his seat to move to sit in front of the sink.

 

“Okay so look here. The sink moves up and down from here, some clients even like to adjust it themselves when they sit down, it’s pretty simple. Just make sure they’re comfortable and their head is leaned all the way back. Come on Rog, lean back” The slightly confused look on Brian’s face maybe wasn’t the most comforting one, but leaning back in the chair actually felt like heaven on his back, so he didn’t bother himself with it.

 

“Okay. Make sure all the hair is in the sink. Just go with your hands, along the hairline. Start from the middle of the forehead and towards the years.. Just like that” Roger could feel Brian’s touch, as light as it was, and as his boyfriend ran his long fingers along his hairline gathering every sporadic strand that had stuck to his face, he automatically closed his eyes and enjoyed the featherlight touches.

 

“And now just lift his head up a little to make sure there’s nothing left outside at the neck” The blonde helped his boyfriend by pressing his chin down a bit so his nape wasn’t touching the sink and Brian could gather all the hair from there as well.

 

“And now support his head while you lower it back down. Yes, good!” Roger could hear Brian chuckling nervously and it made his heart do cartwheels. Even after four long years, the taller man still had an amazing power over him.

 

“Once you’re sure they’re comfortable, you can start wetting their hair. Open the tab and let it run for a while. When the water feels a bit hot to the touch, it’s usually a good temperature for the scalp. Hold the handle like this so you can control where the water goes and you won’t accidentally spray them on the face. Though I’m sure Roger is used to that from other occasions”

 

“Fred!”

 

“I’m just trying to lighten the mood. Brian you’re stiff as a stave. You’re washing his hair not performing a bypass surgery” Brian was sputtering something incomprehensible and Roger could just imagine the bright blush on his face. The blonde started stroking his bump absentmindedly, waiting for the water to hit his head. He could hear Freddie giving some more tips on how to get the water to the right temperature, but he was zoning out a bit. 

 

“Tell me if it’s too hot or too cold” Brian said gently, dragging the blonde back to the moment at hand. And right after the comfortably warm spray of water hit his head, and he couldn’t keep in a small, content groan. Just the water alone felt amazing, but then Brian was running his fingers over his scalp and he could have melted into a puddle.

 

“When you’re going near the hairline, use our other hand to stop the water from trickling to his face or ears. Position it like..” Roger felt Brian fumbling with the technique a bit, and Freddie was probably showing him how to get it right because he didn’t end up with water on his face or much in his ears.

 

“Okay now that it’s all wet through and through, turn of the tap and get the shampoo in” There was some more fumbling, the nice warm water was gone, but soon enough it was replaced with Brian’s soft hands in his hair, working the shampoo in. 

 

_ I bet this is what heaven feels like _

 

If Roger hadn’t ever slept with Brian, he would have been sure this was the greatest pleasure the other man could give him. His fingers rubbing against his scalp felt like they were just making all the tension seep out of his body. Freddie was giving Brian some tips but the blonde couldn’t even hear, he was on cloud nine.

 

There was even a happy, soft little flutter in his belly beneath his fingers and it was making the moment all the more perfect. 

 

But all too soon Brian’s hands disappeared and the water was back. And as nice and warm as it was, it wasn’t as nice as Brian’s hands.

 

Roger didn’t even realise he had whined at the loss before he could hear both Brian and Freddie chuckling.

 

“Enjoying yourself, love?” Brian asked quietly, while trying to manage the rinsing without getting water on his boyfriend’s face.  The blonde just hummed an affirmative, not bothering to try and form words.

 

“Well if you’ll get a reaction like that out of an actual client, I’d say you’re good” Roger would have bitten at the amused tone in Freddie’s voice, but he was too blissed out. “Now you squeeze the excess water out before adding the conditioner” Somewhere in the back of Roger’s mind he wondered why Freddie hadn’t become a teacher because he was obviously very good at this. Or maybe Brian was just a natural.

 

Brian’s hands were back after a brief moment, spreading the conditioner and working through the knots and tangles the wash had created. Roger listened as Freddie gave instructions on the scalp massage and felt when Brian did his best to follow them.

 

“You can use a bit more pressure. It doesn’t hurt” The blonde muttered quietly, feeling his boyfriend comply right away.

 

Maybe it wasn’t the smoothest, most professional head massage he had ever received, but it was so comforting and nice. He couldn’t swallow and hide all the small noises of delight, and it only seemed to spur Brian on, using more pressure and going about every movement as slowly and carefully as possible. 

 

Freddie’s voice interrupted it after a while.

 

“Since this is your boyfriend I get it, but usually the massage is about two minutes. Just so you know”

 

“You’re a buzzkill, Fred” Roger muttered, another picture of a blushing brian flashing in his mind. So what if they had gotten a little carried away. Not like they were busy at the moment.

 

“I know, darling. That’s why you love me”

 

“Not right now I don’t”

 

“I know that too”

 

After Brian had rinsed the conditioner off and squeezed the excess water off Roger’s hair, there was a soft towel wrapped around his hair and rubbed against his head and he couldn’t stifle a yawn. The fact that his body was currently completely ache free and he was basically laying down was making him incredibly sleepy. 

 

“He’s so cute”

 

“Brian keep it in your pants alright?”

 

“Well look at him!”

 

“I know I work with him but stop being thirsty you already got him pregnant”

 

“I got him pregnant because he’s cute”

 

“Oh my God”

 

__________________

  
  


It took Brian a lot more practise to get comfortable with the work, but Roger couldn’t complain. That only meant countless head massages for him, and after a few weeks he had to admit that having Brian help with his client’s was a huge help. Watching him wash someone’s hair while humming quietly had a very calming effect on Roger, and the blonde would just stand leaning against the backrest of the chair, waiting for his customer to get up so he could get started with the cut. Slowly caressing his bigger-every-day baby bump, smiling as Brian sent him a wink from behind the sink. 

 

Most clients weren’t bothered by the additional worker in the cain, but quite the opposite. All of Roger’s regular customers were cooing over the pure lovey dovey honey that was basically dripping in the air all the time, very happy to have their hairdresser so happy and content and most importantly of all, able to work despite being very heavily pregnant.

 

Roger had to hand it to Freddie. Sometimes he had great ideas. And even if he kept poking fun at Roger’s heart eyes and the way Brian would sprint out of the salon at any mention of a new craving the blonde had (“Pickles?  _ Really,  _ darling?”) it was clear how happy he was about having his friend so visibly content with life. 

 

Not to mention the frequent chats the older man had with the bump, telling the baby how cats were better than dogs, and mullets should never come back in style. 

 

Roger wasn’t sure if the harsh kick that was delivered against his ribs meant that the baby agreed, or if it would come out sporting a curly 80’s hairstyle.


	2. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a revelation. And a convenient power outage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! First of all, this chapter is for a friend, for giving me this idea (or more like mentioning that this kind of chapter might be interesting, I just took it and ran with it mwahaha thanks love! You know who you are!)
> 
> It's not exactly a continuation of the first chapter, but it revolves around the same pregnancy, just another point in time of it! Thank you for all the kudos and comments, they're greatly appreciated! And I apologise for any typos, this was largely written on mobile!
> 
> Enjoy!

It was ridiculous, really. There was no real reason to be upset, Roger knew it. He knew there was no real reason for the tears that tried to forcefully burn their way out of his eyes. There was no reason for the way his breath hitched with every inhale, no need for his hands to tremble the way they did. 

 

He was just overreacting to nothing. Slowly wrapping his arms around himself while trying to sink deeper into the couch, the blonde tried to calm his racing thoughts. Berating himself internally for being so overly sensitive for absolutely no reason.

 

There was no baby.

 

There had never been a baby.

 

But then why did he feel like he had lost something? Just minutes ago, squinting at the pregnancy test in their dark bathroom, the flashlight of his phone the only thing to help him see. The single, pink line taunting him from the countertop, causing something heavy to settle in his stomach.

 

There was no baby.

 

There had never been a baby.

 

Roger remembered Freddie being so sure about it. Adamant on getting the blonde to buy a pregnancy test, earlier that day.

 

_ “I swear to God, darling. If you keep ignoring the fact that you’ve been puking every morning for the past two weeks, I swear I will shove the test right up your arse” _

 

_ “You’re supposed to pee on the stick, Fred. Not put it up your butt” _

 

_ “You’re missing the whole point of this threat. Having pregnancy brain already?” _

 

_ “I’m not pregnant, Freddie. That’s ridiculous” _

 

And Roger had been pretty sure he wasn’t. Sure, he had been having some prolonged nausea for a while now, along with being really tired and slightly uncomfortable in his skin. But there were a million possible reasons for that, right? That’s what the blonde had told himself. And Freddie.

 

Even when he had been standing in the line for the checkout, he had felt slightly dumb for holding the pink carton. He wasn’t pregnant, so why was he buying a pregnancy test? To prove a point to Freddie, that must have been it, right? No other reason.

 

Roger wasn’t sure if it had been the friendly, warm smile on the cashiers face when she saw his purchase that had sparked the little ball of excitement in his chest. Or maybe it had been the dumbfounded, wide eyed look Brian had given him when the blonde told him about his plan. The way the hazel eyes started to twinkle with subtle excitement, while the taller man’s voice remained relatively calm. Not getting ahead of himself.

 

_ “I know it’s dumb but.. Can’t hurt, right?” _

 

_ “Of course not. And after this is ruled out, maybe you’ll actually go to see a doctor about what’s been making you sick?” _

 

_ “Let’s not get carried away. I just figured a way to get Freddie off my back, I don’t need you starting on me too” _

 

_ “I’m just worried is all, Rog” _

 

_ “I know. Don’t be” _

 

There was no stopping Brian from worrying, that much Roger had learned from their four years together. The older man was constantly fretting over something, practically just carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders at all times. So yes, maybe the carefully hopeful glint in his eyes, along with the gentle smile were the things that had gotten Roger to hoping. The fact that Brian hadn’t seemed stressed or anxious in a negative way about the possibility of them having a child had gotten the blonde to thinking.

 

What if he was pregnant after all?

 

What if there was a piece of them both growing inside him, expanding their family of two into one of three?

 

Brian hadn’t seemed to think it would be a bad thing, so maybe the denial in Roger’s mind had been too absolute.

 

In hindsight, Roger should have kept his denial. He should have embraced it, just trust himself and his intuition on the fact that he was not expecting. He should have refused to make room for hope, he should have refused to let himself think there was even a possibility.

 

Because that thought of a possibility was the thing that was hurting him right now.He had been fine knowing he wasn’t pregnant that morning. The thought hadn’t bothered him one bit. Sure, he wanted kids with Brian one day. But they weren’t in a hurry, they had all the time in the world to get started on that part of their life. So no need to feel bad about the knowledge of not being pregnant.

 

But then the pesky hope had snaked it’s way to his mind, and now Roger was a mess. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, anything to make the hurt and disappointment go away.

 

How can you mourn the loss of something you never had?

 

In the midst of his disappointment and sadness, Roger was thankful for one thing; the fact that the apartment was completely dark. Not a sliver of light to be seen anywhere.

 

There had been a power outage when he was still waiting for the test to be done, and apparently there was some delay in getting it fixed. He couldn’t have been more grateful. 

 

Sure, at first it had irked him greatly. Sitting in the pitch black bathroom, waiting for the minutes to pass. When the timer on his phone beeped and the lights still weren’t on, the blonde had huffed out in anger, getting up from the toilet lid. Heart trying to beat it’s way out of his chest, he had squinted at the stick lying on the counter. Of course he hadn’t been able to see anything in the complete darkness. Perhaps he should have taken it as a hint to leave the test unseen, but instead he had picked up his phone and turned on the flashlight to see.

 

Only one pink line.

 

All of a sudden his heart hadn’t been trying to escape his chest through his ribs. Instead it had felt like it had stopped completely, turned into ice cold stone.

 

There was no baby.

 

There never had been.

 

That was the point the darkness had become handy. Walking out of the bathroom, Roger didn’t need to face Brian, not really. He was quite sure he wouldn’t have survived that, because even the cautiously hopeful tone in his boyfriend’s voice had nearly been enough for the blonde to lose it.

 

_ “Well? How… Are you? What did it say?” _

 

_ “Ah, yeah. It’s nothing, mate. Just that one line. It’s negative. I’m not.. Yeah” _

 

_ “Oh. O-okay. That’s… Yeah. Alright” _

 

Roger had wanted to apologise, he really had. Apologise for being such a disappointment, for not giving his boyfriend what he obviously wanted. Not that they had ever really discussed it, but it had been so obvious in that moment.

 

But instead of apologising, he had just asked to go to bed. Claiming he was tired from working all day, failing to mention the crippling ache in his heart, created by something that had never been. Brian didn’t need to know.

 

That’s how he had ended up curled in on himself on the couch, staring aimlessly into the darkness of the room. Painful thoughts ripping through his mind, one after another. The obvious feeling of loss squeezing his chest as he tried to work himself over the fact that there was really no need to be upset. No one had died. Nothing tragic had happened. It was just one stupid pregnancy test. They had time, they could start a family whenever they wanted.

 

Right?

 

Roger barely flinched when the lights came back up in a flash. He just blinked a few times, eyes stinging from the sudden brightness. Numbly thinking about how much easier it would be to go to bed now that they wouldn’t have to go through every light switch in the apartment to make sure they wouldn’t turn back on in the middle of the night.

 

“Roger?” Brian’s first call from the bathroom did little to rouse Roger from his thoughts.

 

“Roger?!”

 

“Ah, what? What is it?” The blonde perked up slightly at the alerted tone in his boyfriends voice, “Are you alright?”

 

“Uh.. Yes, but..” The curly haired man appeared into the living room, and the first thing Roger noticed after making sure he wasn’t visibly bleeding or hurt, was the stick of doom he was holding with his long, delicate fingers. 

 

“What’s wrong? Why are you holding that? You know I peed on it right? I’m sorry I shouldn’t have left it on the counter, but..”

 

“You said it’s just one line?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“That means it’s negative?”

 

“Yes?” There was a stretched silence between them, the two men just staring at each other with confused expressions.

 

“But Roger… There are two lines here”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger might be a bit hormonal, and working in client service sucks sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's back at her bullshit!
> 
> I know it's been ages since I tiptoed my way around this fandom. Let's just say that it has been a very difficult fall/winter, and also my interests have been elsewhere.
> 
> I was a bit hesitant to publish this, as i don't think it's my best work. But then again, i'm not sure if people are even reading anymore soooo... Why not?
> 
> Couldn't figure out a reason, try as i might.
> 
> So here. Suffer with me babes.
> 
> (Posted on mobile. Don't hate me)  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .

_ 'Don't be stupid, Freddie's your best friend. He'll understand. He'll be over the moon happy for you. He even told you to do the bloody pregnancy test' _

 

The barely there voice of reason did very little to soothe the twisting ball of anxiety in the pit of Roger's stomach. Sure, Freddie was his best friend and they had been through a lot of shit together.

 

But this was life altering. This was going to change so much in Roger and Brian's private lives, but also a lot of things would change in the shop.

 

Maternity leave, for starters.

 

Roger bit his lip, unconsciously moving his hand to rest on his still flat stomach. Brian had been so happy about the news. And Roger was elated himself, but breaking the news to other people felt overwhelming. 

 

The worried rambling in his head was interrupted by the small bell chiming on top of the door. Taking a deep breath, he blocked the baby-related worries from his head, greeting the woman and her son that had just walked into the shop.

 

_ 'You can worry about Freddie hating your guts when he's actually here' _

 

_ *** _

 

Twenty minutes later, Roger couldn't help but think that worrying about Freddie would have been way more fun than this. The 3-year-old boy sitting in the chair before him wasn't having any of this haircutting bullshit, and he wasn't afraid to show it. The little blonde boy was screaming and crying, the wails threatening to rip Roger's eardrums apart. He was scared, and no amount of sweet talking from Roger was helping. 

 

The boy's mother helped even less. She was huffing and puffing, clearly getting more and more agitated by the second, not even attempting to calm her son down. Something about the way the little kid called for his mom, just to be ignored, tugged at Roger's heartstrings. It didn't matter that the kid wasn't actually in any danger, if the kid felt like he was in a threatening situation, it was supposed to be the mother's job to calm him down.

 

Not coddle. But at least simply tell him that everything was alright and that there was no need to fuss.

 

The clock on the wall ticked forward an inch, yet another going by with the blood curdling screams, and Roger had to admit his defeat. Slowly, he put down the comb and scissors, throwing an apologetic glance towards the mother.

 

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I really don't think this is going to work out today" He said, meanwhile patting the little boy on the shoulder, offering a reassuring smile through the mirror.

 

It didn't really help.

 

"What do you mean?" The mother sounded spiky and frustrated, arms crossed over her chest, mouth pulled into an annoyed line.

 

"I really don't want to traumatize him. He's clearly scared and frustrated, and trying to force this isn't going to help" The mean look on the mother's face wasn't softening, and Roger felt his hands sweating. "Obviously I'm not going to charge the cut, maybe we could try again next week but today it's clearly just not going to happen. I'm really sorry" 

 

There was a tense moment of silence, and then the mother was moving. She fussed the cape off the kid, roughly pulling him to his feet from the chair, all the while grumbling under her breath. The boy was still sniffling and wiping his eyes as the mom started to manhandle him into his coat.

 

"Zip the jacket up. Now, Jonathan. Right now" Roger was frozen to one spot, watching with bewilderment as the woman turned her focus from the child to him.

 

"I have never,  _ ever,  _ seen such unprofessionalism" She pointed a finger to Roger's face, making the blonde blink and lean back as a reflex.

 

"Excus- "

 

"He's just a child. You're supposed to be a professional, to do you job. It cannot be that bloody hard" Roger's heart skipped a beat, and he could just watch with his mouth hanging open as the woman grabbed her son's shoulder, pulling him towards the exit. Distinctly, he knew he should have answered something. He knew that on any other day, he would have had a very painful response ready to go at this point.

 

But now he could only stare.

 

"You're going to be a very shitty parent one day" 

 

The happy chime of the doorbell felt like a mockery.

 

Roger felt a cold, freezing pain spreading from his chest to every little corner of his body. It left him breathless for a split second, and the squeezing feeling in his throat made his eyes water.

 

_ ‘You’re going to be a very shitty parent one day’ _

 

_ ‘You’re going to be a very shitty parent’ _

 

_ ‘You’re a very shitty parent’ _

 

_ ‘You’re a shitty person and you will ruin everything’ _

Slowly, he moved a hand to brush against his stomach, blinking away the tears that were threatening to spill. He squeezed the fabric of his shirt between his fingers, trying to will away the cold sorrow that had settled in his chest. The sensible part of his brain was trying to tell him that it had just been an angry outburst of a frustrated person, nothing to take too seriously. 

 

She didn’t know him.

 

_ ‘Still she knows you’ll be a shitty parent because it’s that bloody obvious’ _

 

Roger was about ready to suffer a stress related aneurysm when the doorbell chimed again, letting in his best friend/colleague, his raven black hair messed in the wind and a cheerful smile on his face.

 

"I think me and mother nature have a different idea of a lovely spring weather. That wind is utterly -" the smile fell from Freddie's face, and he frowned at Roger. "Is something the matter, dear?"

 

"I'm going to be a shitty parent" It slipped out before Roger could think of anything else to say, and he looked at Freddie with wide, watering eyes. 

 

"What?"

 

"I'm going to be a very shitty parent" Freddie lifted his eyebrows, nodding slowly before frowning again.

 

"What on earth are you going on about, darling? Have you finally taken to actually snorting the bleaching powder, because let me tell you, once more, it will not make your hair grow blonde -" Freddie was obviously trying to make light of the situation, not understanding why his friend was so upset or even thinking about parenthood all of a sudden. 

 

Roger couldn't take it.

 

"I'm pregnant. And I'm going to be a very shitty parent" And if there had ever been a moment where the great Freddie Mercury had been rendered speechless, that was it. Right there and then, looking at his teary eyed friend who had somehow just  _ found the weirdest way possible to announce a pregnancy. _

 

"Beg your pardon?"

 

"I'm pregnant"

 

"What?"

 

"I'm -"

 

"Yes I bloody heard you! But I mean… What?! You're pregnant?"

 

"You just said you heard me, Fred"

 

"Don't sass me, love. Don't even" Freddie pointed an accusing finger to Roger's direction, and suddenly the weight of his clients words wasn't as painful anymore. No, it made way for the actual, honest to god terror that came with how Freddie was looking at him right now.

 

_ 'Freddie hates you' _

 

"I can expla-"

 

"I'm going to kill Brian"

 

"I -" It was Roger's turn to frown. "What?"

 

"I'm going to kill him. Bloody louse, actually getting my boy pregnant before wedding him. Unacceptable" 

 

"...Freddie"

 

"My first godchild will be born a bastard"

 

"Fred. Really?"

 

"Unacceptable" Roger let out a groan, shaking his head at his friend. And finally,  _ finally _ , Freddie smiled, before wrapping the blonde in a crushing hug.

 

"That's amazing news, darling. A baby!" And Roger really felt like an idiot for ever thinking Freddie would be mad at him. (They'd need to discuss the part about Brian getting him pregnant out of wedlock, but that could wait.)

 

"This isn't how I wanted to tell you" Roger admitted with a small voice, and Freddie took a step back with a knowing smile on his face.

 

"Well I better hope so. I mean what on earth was that talk about you being a shitty parent, dear?" And there it was again, the thing that Roger had managed to forget already for a split second.

 

"Uh… A client. Said. That I'll be a shitty parent. Because I couldn't get her kid to calm down to cut his hair" Freddie rolled his dark eyes in such a flamboyant way that Roger was sure it was only possible for him.

 

"And you believed her? You do realize that it's more about her being a shitty parent, right? If she's not doing her job right, it's not on you if the little brat won't sit still"

 

"Um…"

 

"Please tell me you understand that"

 

"I.. Guess, yeah?"

 

"I'm going to put this on you being hormonal. Because that's utterly ridiculous. We can't be out here parenting other people's kids for them. If they're shitty at parenting, we can't really help it. But one thing I know for a fact, dear, and that is that any kid would be lucky to have you as their parent" 

 

And Roger felt really lucky to have Freddie.

 

"We do need to discuss the whole 'copulating before marriage' thing still, though. Unacceptable"

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might or might not be based on an experience of my own at work. People really be that mean.


End file.
